Method and Apparatus for Placing Short Courses of Composite Tape
An automatic composite tape placement head includes a roller for compacting tape on a substrate, and a cutter adjacent the roller for cutting the tape at the roller.
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This disclosure generally relates to automated methods and equipment for laying up plies of composite material, and deals more particularly with a method and apparatus for placing short courses of composite tape on a substrate during the layup process.
BACKGROUNDComposite structures such as those used in the automotive, marine and aerospace industries may be fabricated using automated composite material application machines, commonly referred to as automated fiber placement (AFP) machines. AFP machines may be used in the aircraft industry, for example, to fabricate structural components and skins by placing relatively narrow strips of composite, slit fiber tape or “tows” on a manufacturing tool. The tape may be placed on the tool in parallel courses that may be in substantially edge-to-edge contact to form a ply.
Known AFP machines employ a tape placement head that dispenses, cuts and compacts courses of tape onto the tool surface as a tape placement head is moved by a robotic device over the tool surface. These tape placement heads typically include a supply spool of tape, and a dispensing mechanism that draws the tape from the spool and guides the tape into a nip between a compaction roller and the tool surface. A cutter blade within the dispensing mechanism located upstream from the compaction roller cuts the tape to a desired course length. The minimum length of a tape course that can be placed by the tape placement head may therefore be governed by the distance between the point where the tape is compacted onto the tool surface and the point where the tape is cut by the blade.
In some applications, relatively short courses may be required which have a length less than the minimum course length that can be cut by known tape heads. In other words, a desired course length may be less than the distance from the compaction point to the point where the cut is made. Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to place courses that are longer than optimum course lengths, thereby adding weight and/or cost to the part, or prompting the need to trim the plies of excess tape.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tape placement head and method for cutting courses of tape which allow placement of courses of shorter length.
SUMMARYAccording to the disclosed embodiments, short courses of composite tape may be placed by automated tape placement heads by cutting the tape within the head at a point that is as close as possible to the compaction point. Cutting short courses is made possible by locating a cutter in close proximity to the compaction roller in order to minimize the distance between the compaction point and the point where the tape is cut. The compaction roller may be used as an anvil against which the tape is held while being cut by a cutter blade that may impinge upon the roller during a cut. The cutter may include a rotary cutter blade, or a guillotine type cutter blade.
According to one disclosed embodiment, an automatic composite tape placement head comprises a roller for compacting tape on a substrate. A cutter adjacent the roller cuts the tape at the roller. The cutter may include a rotary cutter blade or a reciprocating cutter blade.
According to another embodiment, an automatic tape placement head is provided for placing composite tape on a substrate. The head includes a supply of tape and a roller for compacting the tape against the substrate as the head moves over the substrate. Means are provided for feeding the tape from the tape supply to the roller. A cutter is provided for cutting the tape against the roller. The cutter may be a rotary cutter positioned adjacent the roller which rotates in a direction opposite the rotational direction of the roller. Means may be provided for synchronizing the operation of the cutter with the feeding of the tape from the tape supply to the roller. The cutter may be located to cut the tape substantially at a tangent point on the surface of the roller.
According to another embodiment, a method is provided of cutting composite tape for placement on a substrate by an automatic tape placement head. The method includes feeding composite tape from a supply of the tape to a roller on the head. The tape is cut at the roller, and the roller is used to compact the cut tape against the substrate. The cutting of the tape may be performed by a rotary cutter or by a reciprocating cutter. Cutting the tape may include using the roller as an anvil against which the tape is held during a cut.
The disclosed embodiments satisfy the need for cutting tape dispensed by the automatic tape placement head at a location that is as close as possible to the point of tape compaction on the substrate, in order to allow short tape courses of minimum length to be placed on the substrate.
Referring first to
Referring now momentarily to
Referring now to
In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, a cutter 42 is mounted for rotation about an axis 44 downstream of the dispensing mechanism 28 and immediately adjacent the compaction roller 34. The cutter 42 includes a cutter blade 46 driven by a servo motor 45 or similar time-based motor. The cutter blade 46 rotates into engagement with the compaction roller 34 at a tangent point 48 where the tape 26 is initially guided onto the roller 34. Cutter 42 rotates in a direction 50 opposite to the direction 36 of rotation of the roller 34 so that the cutter blade 46 is generally moving in the feed direction of the tape 26 during the cut, and therefore does not interfere with the tape feed. In the illustrated embodiment, the axes of rotation 38, 44 of the roller 34 and cutter 42 respectively extend substantially parallel to each other.
From
Attention is now directed to
Attention is now directed to
Embodiments of the disclosure may find use in a variety of potential applications, particularly in the transportation industry, including for example, aerospace, marine and automotive applications. Thus, referring now to
Each of the processes of method 90 may be performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party, and/or an operator (e.g., a customer). For the purposes of this description, a system integrator may include without limitation any number of aircraft manufacturers and major-system subcontractors; a third party may include without limitation any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be an airline, leasing company, military entity, service organization, and so on.
As shown in
Systems and methods embodied herein may be employed during any one or more of the stages of the production and service method 90. For example, components or subassemblies corresponding to production process 98 may be fabricated or manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassemblies produced while the aircraft 92 is in service. Also, one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized during the production stages 98 and 100, for example, by substantially expediting assembly of or reducing the cost of an aircraft 92. Similarly, one or more of apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or a combination thereof may be utilized while the aircraft 92 is in service, for example and without limitation, to maintenance and service 106.
Although the embodiments of this disclosure have been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, as other variations will occur to those of skill in the art.
Claims
1. An automatic composite tape placement head, comprising:
- a roller for compacting tape on a substrate; and
- a cutter adjacent the roller for cutting the tape at the roller.
2. The tape placement head of claim 1, wherein the cutter includes a rotary cutter blade.
3. The tape placement head of claim 1, wherein the cutter includes:
- a cutter blade, and
- means for displacing the blade through the tape and against the roller.
4. The tape placement head of claim 3, wherein the means for displacing the blade includes:
- means for mounting the blade for rotation in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the roller, and
- a motor for rotating the blade.
5. The tape placement head of claim 2, further comprising;
- means for feeding the tape to the roller; and
- means for synchronizing the rotation of the rotary cutter with tape feeding means.
6. The tape placement head of claim 1, wherein the cutter includes:
- a cutter blade, and
- means for linearly displacing the cutter blade through the tape and into engagement with the roller.
7. The tape placement head of claim 1, wherein the cutter is rotatable in a rotational direction opposite of the rotational direction of the roller.
8. An automatic tape placement head for placing composite tape on a substrate, comprising:
- a supply of tape;
- a roller for compacting the tape against the substrate as the head moves over the substrate;
- means for feeding tape from the tape supply to the roller; and,
- a cutter for cutting the tape against the roller.
9. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, wherein:
- the cutter is a rotary cutter positioned adjacent the roller, and
- the rotary cutter rotates in a direction opposite the rotational direction of the roller.
10. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, wherein the roller and the cutter are respectively mounted for rotation about substantially parallel axes.
11. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, wherein the cutter includes a reciprocating cutter blade that alternately moves toward and away from the roller.
12. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, further including means for synchronizing the operation of the cutter with the operation of the means for feeding the tape from the tape supply to the roller.
13. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, wherein the cutter is positioned to cut the tape substantially at a tangent point on the surface of the roller.
14. The automatic tape placement head of claim 8, wherein the cutter is located between the tape feeding means and a point where the tape engages the roller.
15. A method of cutting composite tape for placement on a substrate by an automatic tape placement head, comprising:
- feeding composite tape from a supply of the tape to a roller on the head;
- cutting the tape at the roller; and
- using the roller to compact the cut tape against the substrate.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein cutting the tape is performed using a rotary cutter.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein cutting the tape includes:
- using the roller as an anvil, and
- holding the tape against roller during the cutting.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein cutting the tape is performed using a reciprocating cutter.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein cutting the tape includes rotating a cutter blade in proximity to the roller such that the rotating blade cuts the tape against the roller.
20. A method of laying short courses of composite tape on a substrate using an automatic tape placement head, comprising:
- drawing tape from a supply of the tape on the head;
- feeding the tape through a guide on the head;
- using the guide to guide the tape toward a compaction roller;
- cutting the tape into a short course after the tape has moved through the guide, including rotating a cutter blade and using the rotating cutter blade to cut the short course of tape at the roller by cutting the tape against the roller; and
- using the roller to compact the short course of tape against the substrate.
21. An automatic tape placement head for placing short courses of composite tape on a substrate, comprising:
- a supply of composite tape;
- a compaction roller for compacting short courses of the tape onto the substrate as the head is moved relative to the substrate;
- guide means for guiding the tape from the supply onto the roller; and
- a rotary cutter including a cutter blade for cutting the tape that has been guided onto the roller, the rotary cutter being mounted for rotation in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the roller such that the cutter blade passes into proximity with a tangent point on the roller and cuts the tape generally at the tangent point on the roller.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 13, 2009
Publication Date: Sep 16, 2010
Patent Grant number: 8454788
Applicant:
Inventor: Robert A. Kisch (Auburn, WA)
Application Number: 12/404,265
International Classification: B32B 38/04 (20060101); B32B 37/00 (20060101); B29C 65/50 (20060101);